Committee says punish five policemen for Dhaka tea-seller’s death

A probe committee has faulted five policemen for tea-seller Babul Matubbor’s death caused by a stove fire in Dhaka’s Shah Ali area last week, a police officer has said.

Police DC Quayumuzzaman told bdnews24.com that the committee submitted its report on Tuesday.
 
“It said there was negligence on the part of the five police personnel,” he said.
 
Another police officer, who asked not to be named, told bdnews24.com that the committee suggested ‘departmental action’ against them.
 
Among the policemen blamed for the incident is AKM Shahin Mondol, OC of a precinct, who was withdrawn from duty following the incident.
 

The others are sub-inspectors Mominul Islam and Niaz Uddin Molla, assistant sub-inspector Debendra Sarkar and constable Jasimuddin – all suspended over Matubbor’s death.

The tea-seller died from burns on Feb 4 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital hours after police allegedly assaulted him, causing an oil spill from a stove.

The police officer who preferred anonymity said law enforcers had arrested the husband of a drug-peddler called ‘Parul’ with 300 grams of marijuana on Feb 3.

“Parul suspected that Babul had tipped the police off about the marijuana. In retaliation, she tried to have Babul arrested by police, pinning him with drugs with the help of police informant Delwar.” 

The officer said the committee found negligence of supervisory duty on the part of OC Mondol.

Referring to the report, he said Mondol, before Babul’s demise, had manhandled Babul’s family when they complained against the drug-peddlers.

He had also tried to label Babul a drug-seller.

Another committee had earlier spoken of ‘negligence’ on the part of the policemen behind Matubbor’s death. 

DMP spokesperson Md Maruf Hossain said on Monday that the Detective Branch has been tasked with investigating the incident.